Electric illuminated sign.



W. N. McOOMB.

ELEGTR-IG ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1908.

Patnted July 12, 1910.

ZNVENTOR Aflomey in; mmms PETERS-CO, WASHINGTON, v. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM NELSON MGCOMB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATED SIGN.

season To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLTAM N. MoCoMB, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Illuminated Signs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to illuminated signs, particularly those in which incandescent or glow electric lamps are employed, and which are used for advertising or similar purposes, they being usually arranged to produce an illuminated reading sign.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of two panels of a sign embodying my improvements, parts being broken away to illustrate features of construction which would not otherwise appear, and all of the lamps being removed from one of the panels. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken on the line 22 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 33 Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a front view of one of the panels with all of the lamps, and the perforated face or letter plate, removed, showing the arrangement of the electric terminals or lamp sockets. Fig. 5 is a front view of a removable perforated face plate which operates to cover the exposed portions of the lamp terminals and to serve as a reflecting surface for a sign. Fig. 6 is a front view of a removable letter plate adapted to be used in connection with a sign such as illustrated in other views. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the manner of connecting the face plate with the box or casing to form a weather-proof slip joint.

The casing of each panel consists of a box A preferably of rectangular outline and open at the front. The front wall of the casing is a removable plate B upon which are secured the electric terminals or lamp sockets, E. This front plate or wall is provided along its edges with flanges, preferably out-turned and doubled or folded upon themselves to form grooves, into which set the outer edges of the side walls of the easing A. The side flanges of the front plate are designated Z), Z), the top flange c, and the bottom flange (Z. The face wall or plate thus formed can be easily put in place upon the casing or removed therefrom as may be Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd July 12, 191() Application filed November 19, 1908.

Serial No. 463,419.

desired, no sidewise or sliding movements of any parts being required to secure these results; and, when once in place, it forms a practically water-tight closure for the box or casing.

The face plate or wall B is perforated to receive the electric terminals or lamp sockets E which are preferably of two-part construction, of any usual or preferred kind, adapted to be clamped to the plate as the parts are united. The part of the socket, c, situated to the rear of the front wall carries the terminals which are connected with the supply wires or conductors H. e, c, designate the clamping collars of the lamp sockets situated in front of the plate B and surrounding the screw-threaded sockets into which the lamps are inserted.

The supply wires are led into the casing through insulating bushings F. These are preferably formed with enlarged bearing flanges and screw-threaded stems f adapted to pass through the openings provided therefor in the edge walls of the casing. I utilize these bushings not only as insulators between the electric wires and the casings A, but also as means for connecting the casings or boxes end to end or side to side. For this purpose I employ screw-threaded collars G adapted to engage with the stems f of the bushings F. When two casings are to be used side by side they are brought together with the openings, it through their edge flanges registering. A pair of bushings is then inserted through the registered openings in the two casings, and the collars Gr screwed upon the stems 7" until they clamp against the inner face of the edge wall of one box drawing the flanges f of the bushings against the inner face of the edge wall of the other box, thus uniting the casings, and at the same time, providing an insulated connection between them for the wires that supply the electric current.

The out-turned flanges surrounding the removable face plate or front wall of the casing are preferably of a height a little greater than that of the clamping collars e of the lamp sockets, which latter are thus inclosed by a surrounding rib or flange. The flanges 0, cl, located along two opposite edges of the face plate or wall, preferably along flanges at the other sides. Like the flanges 6, they are formed of metal doubled on itself to constitute the grooves in which set op osite edges of the box A. These flanges 0, after being carried forward or outward from the wall B, are bent at right angles and carried inward so as to overlie or stand opposite to those parts of the wall or plate B that are adjacent to the said flanges. The overlying part 0 of the flange o is of greater width than the overlying portion d of the opposite flange. There is thus provided a pair of ribs or flanges lying along opposite edges of the front wall and situated parallel with, but at a distance from, its outer face, under which may be slipped the removable perforated face plate or character plates which I shall presently describe.

The plate B carries a number of lamp sockets sufficient, if arranged as represented in the drawings, to produce, in connection with suitable character plates, any letter of the alphabet or arabic numeral; only those lamps being selected and used which will clearly outline the letter or character that it is desired to show.

I designates the character or letter plate adapted to overlie the front plate or wall of the casing. These plates are separable and interchangeable, that is, any one may be applied to any desired casing or sign unit. Each character plate is perforated so that when in place it exposes those lamp sockets, and only those, which it is desired should be employed in forming the character of that particular plate. The plate consists of a piece of material, usually metal, of a size approximating the size of the space within the outturned flanges of the front wall B of the panel box. Along the edges of the letter plate are inturned strengthening flanges i. The letter plate is put in position by slipping one of its ends under the overlying rib 0 and forcing it thereunder as far as it will go. The letter plate is then dropped down over the front wall B, the length of the plate being such that its lower edge will just clear the inner edge of the rib or flange at. As soon as the letter plate is brought parallel with the front wall of the casing it is slid down under the flange d, whereupon it will be securely held in place by the two flanges, c, d, as will be readily seen from an examination of Fig. 2.

A very attractive letter or character is produced by cutting out from the letter plate the entire character to be shown and sur rounding the opening thus formed by a depending flange i. This may be colored to contrast with the color of the face of the letter plate, if desired. It gives to the character the appearance of depth thus adding to the artistic effect of the illuminated sign, and also imparts strength to the plate, which, as will be understood, is necessarily weakened because of the material that is removed to form the letter opening. The lamps are passed through the opening or openings in the letter plate to engage with the sockets E, and stand out well beyond its face.

I find that a very pleasing effect is produced, when a letter plate is cut to form an opening in the shape of the character to be displayed as just described by covering such opening with a screen M of relatively open mesh, which is perforated or broken to permit lamps to be passed through it to their sockets. This screen does not hide the front wall or face plate B; but, being illuminated from the outside by the lamps, modifies or softens the light reflected from such wall. Various effects can be produced by coloring the screen, which, at a distance, is not itself discernible.

At one of the casings or sign units represented in the drawings the letter E is displayed. When the opening in the letter plate corresponds with the full character, the central portion of the plate sometimes tends to spring outward or away from the plane of the plate, and this distortion may be sufficient to be apparent. I therefore prefer to carry a narrow connecting piece or pieces across the opening in the plate, as

represented at K in Fig. 1, thus stiffening the plate and holding its parts in proper relation to each other. This strip is colored to correspond with the color of the plate B behind it, and being narrow it is not seen when the sign is viewed from a distance.

Instead of forming the letter plates as represented in Fig. 1 they may be formed as shown in Fig. 6. Here the letter plate I has marked upon its face, preferably in colors contrasting with the body of the plate, the letter to be displayed, and within the confines of such marking are formed apertures Z adapted to register, when the letter plate is put in place over the monogram, with the lamp sockets that are to be employed in illuminating the particular character appearing on the plate. This plate is similar to the one designated I, in

that it is provided around its edges with strengthening ribs or flanges, and is adapted to be slipped in place under the flanges 0 (Z of the front plate of the casing.

I may employ, if desired, a removable cover plate J, adapted to fit over the face of the casing, and having perforations j to register with all of the lamp sockets. This cover plate which is plain in color, usually white, hides the collars e of the lamp sockets and gives a finished appearance to the sign face which, in the use of certain forms of letter plates, is found to be desirable.

I have thus far in this specification described the sign units as being constructed to produce but a single character of a sign and have illustrated and described how the cases of a plurality of such sign units may be united side by side or end to end where several characters are to be displayed in a group. But I do not intend to be understood that my present invention is to be limited to signs constructed to display but one character at a time,- because for some signs, in order to cheapen the cost'and to simplify the construction, a single enlarged casing may be employed, the front plate thereof being so extended as to carry the necessary electrical connections to produce the number of characters desired, and, by means of flanges properly spaced and attached to the front plate, adapted to receive the same character plates used for the cases which are constructed to display only a single character. Such a sign as that just described comes within the principle of my in vention and is intended to be covered by the following claims.

It is also to be understood that my invention is applicable to double faced signs. The casing in that case will have two exposed or face plates instead of a face plate and a back as illustrated in the drawings.

hat I claim is 1. In an electric illuminated sign, the combination of a box having an open front, a removable wall or face plate for the box, arranged to close the front thereof, and provided along two of its opposite edges with inturned flanges or ribs, and a removable character plate arranged to be inserted from the front under the said ribs or flanges of the front wall and to cover the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric illuminated sign, the combination of an open front box, and a removable face plate therefor having along its edges folded over ribs or flanges forming seats into which may be set the edges of the side walls of the box, the said seats being disposed in planes which are substantially at right angles to the plane of the face plate and the folded over ribs along two of the opposite edges being inturned and lying substantially parallel with the face of the plate, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric illuminated sign, the combination of a box, a face plate for closing the box, a set of electric lamp sockets carried by the face plate, the plate carrying outward extending marginal flanges or ribs surrounding the lamp sockets, a removable letter or character plate and means carried by the said ribs for holding in place in front of the lamp sockets the removable letter or character plate, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electric illuminated sign, the combination of an open face box, a front plate perforated to permit the lamps to enginal edges with outward extending flanges or ribs folded upon themselves to constitute seats into which are set the edges of the side walls of the box, portions of the flanges along two of the opposite edges being bent over to lie parallel with the face of the said front plate, a set of lamp terminals carried by the said front plate, and a removable plate perforated to permit the lamps to engage with their terminals arranged to lie over the face plate, and to be inserted in place under the said bent over portions of the flanges from the front, and to be by them held in place, substantially as set forth.

In an illuminated sign, the combination of a casing having along two of its opposite edges seats formed by overhanging flanges substantially parallel with the front face of the casing, a removable plate, perforated to permit the lamps of the sign to be passed through it to engage with their terminals, the said plate being provided along its edges with strengthening ribs arranged to occupy the seats under the aforesaid flanges, and the said plate being freely applicable to the case from the front and freely removable therefrom.

6. In an electric illuminated sign, the combination of an open front box for protecting the electric terminals and connections, a removable front plate therefor, and a plate perforated to permit the passage of electric lamps from the front to their terminal connections applied to and held in place by the said removable front plate, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electric illuminated sign, the combination of an open front box for pro tecting the electric terminals and connections, a removable front plate therefor, and a substitutable letter plate applied to and carried by the said removable front plate, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric illuminated sign, the combination of an open front box, a removable front plate therefor arranged to be applied to the box from in front to close the same, a substitutable letter plate, and means carried by the front plate for permitting the application or removal of the letter plate to the front plate from in front, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electric sign, the combination of a casing having a front reflecting surface, a letter plate arranged to be applied to the casing in front of said surface, and having a portion cut out to the outline of the character to be displayed, and open mesh screen covering the character opening formed by cutting out the plate, and the illuminating lamps located in front of the said screen arranged to illuminate it and through it the said reflecting surface, substantially as set forth.

10. In an electric illuminated sign, the

combination of an open front box, a removfleeting plate and cut to the outline of the able front plate for closing the'box carrying character to be displayed, substantially as the lamp sockets or terminals a reflecting set forth.

plate arranged to cover the face plate and WILLIAM NELSON MOOOMB. perforated to permit the lamps to engage WVitnesses:

With their terminals or sockets, and a letter MARY BROWN MORTON,

plate arranged outside the perforated re- JENNIE CATHERINE MOLLOY.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 964,301.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 964,301, granted July 12, 1910,

upon the application of William Nelson McComb, of New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Electric Illuminated Signs, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: Page 3, line 63, the Words and syllable perforated to permit the lamps to enshould be stricken out and the Words and syllable f01 closing it, prooideol along its mm"- inserted instead; and that the said 1 Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of August, A. D., 1910.

[SEAL] F. A. TENNANT,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

